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There's a cynical stock market adage that bad companies make for good trades. It's a bit of trading knowledge that can help investors identify stocks where even if the long-term outlook is promising, short-term management mistakes offer trading opportunities.

Everyone loves triumph in the face of adversity (as evidenced by the "Lin-sanity" currently gripping the nation) so it's hardly surprising that investors are enjoying the tech sector's rebound after a moribund 2011.

Huntington Bancshares and BB&T on Thursday both reported strong fourth-quarter loan growth, but suffered major declines in fee income following the Federal Reserve's implementation of the Durbin Amendment on Oct. 1.

When investors think banks and technology, they think Bank of America and Google. With 43 constituents of the Standard & Poor's 500 reporting quarterly results in the coming week, most of them financial and technology companies, Bank of America and Google could end up being the most important earnings reports to watch on Thursday.

Homebuilder stocks have jumped as much as 45 percent over the past three months. But the question remains whether it's a fragile rally based on overly optimistic expectations for the economy or an early sign that a sustained real estate recovery is in the offing.

While both professionals and do-it-yourself investors try to prognosticate the new year, we're always dealt our fair share of surprises — good and bad. Here are five stocks that turned in the biggest negative surprises for investors.

Forget the traditional ways of generating investment ideas. Instead, let the crowd do it for you. From hedge funds to individual investors, scores of market participants are turning to social media to figure out which stocks are worth watching.

Netflix has a lot to prove in 2012, specifically how successful it can be in the U.K. and Ireland. The company, whose stock lost 70 percent of its value just in the past three months, is so confident in the future of its streaming business overseas that it is even willing to take a loss in the new year.